01 September 2011
A Calendar Page for September
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
Additional 18851, f. 5v: calendar page for September
This calendar page, for the month of September, depicts the zodiac sign for Libra as a young woman holding a set of scales. The scene below shows the preparations for wine-making, with workers in a stone and timber building pouring wine into vats and treading grapes.
01 August 2011
A Calendar Page for August
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for August, from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 5
On this calendar page for August, the zodiac sign for Virgo (the Virgin) is depicted as a young woman holding a martyr's palm. Below her a group of men continue labouring to finish the harvest, threshing wheat and gathering it into sheaves inside a timbered barn.
01 July 2011
A Calendar Page for July
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for July, from the Bestiary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 4v
This calendar page, for July, features another unusual version of a traditional figure; the zodiac sign for Leo is depicted as a lion with prominent white whiskers and an unlikely mane. Beneath him, the work of the harvest continues, with peasants labouring and cutting grain with their sickles.
01 June 2011
A Calendar Page for June
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for June from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 4
On this calendar page for June, the zodiac sign for Cancer is depicted as a rather odd-looking crab (although this lobster-like version of the crustacean is a fairly common one in medieval manuscripts). Below, the romance of May has given way to the hard work of the hay harvest, with peasants cutting hay and stacking it (while one man takes a bit of a refreshment break).
01 May 2011
A Calendar Page for May
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for May, from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 3v
This page, from the calendar for May, includes the zodiac sign for Gemini in the upper left of the folio, depicted as a nude man and woman embracing. A common theme for May miniatures is that of courting and romance, and the lower miniature on this folio is a classic example. It shows a similar landscape as was depicted in April, with couples walking through a vibrant landscape, and enjoying a ride on a river.
01 April 2011
A Calendar Page for April
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for April from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 3
This page is from the calendar for April, and depicts the zodiac sign for Taurus the bull in the upper right of the folio. Calendrical 'labours of the month' for April are among the most varied, and typically show scenes of people celebrating the arrival of spring. In this miniature, two young lovers are walking by a river, close to a man fishing and a group of people enjoying a boat ride.
01 March 2011
A Calendar Page for March
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for March, from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 2v
This page is from the calendar for March, and depicts the zodiac sign for Aries as a ram with curled horns, in the upper left of the folio. Below is a landscape at the beginning of spring, with trees sprouting new leaves, and grass beginning to grow. Among the new greenery can be seen a group of men at work trimming and preparing vines, and beginning to dig for the year's first crops.
01 February 2011
A Calendar Page for February
For a further discussion of medieval calendars, as well as the Isabella Breviary itself, please see the post for January.
The calendar page for February, from the Breviary of Queen Isabella of Castile, Add MS 18851, f. 2
This page, from the calendar for February, shows the zodiac sign for Pisces (as two fish, facing in opposite directions) in the upper right of the folio. Below is a winter scene similar to January's, with a group of men busy chopping and gathering wood.
Medieval manuscripts blog recent posts
- A calendar page for November 2018
- A calendar page for October 2018
- A calendar page for September 2018
- A calendar page for August 2018
- A calendar page for July 2018
- A calendar page for June 2018
- A calendar page for May 2018
- A calendar page for April 2018
- A calendar page for March 2018
- A calendar page for February 2018
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